Islam Makhachev opens door for Topuria superfight

The Dagestani combatant continues to support the imagination of MMA fans alive. At the opening of this year, the biggest imaginable combat successful the athletics was a superfight betwixt the past featherweight champion Ilia Topurija and the lightweight champion Makhachev.

However, plans changed; aft Jack Della Maddalena defeated Belal Muhammad to instrumentality the welterweight belt, Makhachev decided to permission lightweight and determination to welterweight, successful pursuit of treble champion status. Meanwhile, Topuria defeated Charles Oliveira to assertion the vacant lightweight belt, truthful the imagination of a superfight seemed mislaid for a while.

Makhachev does not adjacent the doorway to the match

However, Makhachev does not adjacent the doorway to the lucifer that the fans privation for. Although helium is presently focused connected Maddalena and the welterweight title, the combatant intelligibly says:

- I can't assertion anything, but determination is simply a definite intrigue surrounding Topuria. That lucifer is besides absorbing to me. Perhaps immoderate benignant of superfight tin beryllium arranged, Makhachev told the Russian transmission Ushatayka.

Topuria has already hinted that helium mightiness 1 time travel Makhachev to the welterweight division, but helium stressed that helium has promised the UFC that helium volition enactment successful the 70-kilogram part for a portion longer. This dynamic whitethorn really beryllium appropriate, arsenic Makhachev admits that it is uncertain whether helium volition ever instrumentality to the lightweight part aft adjusting to a higher weight:

– I don’t know. It has ever been hard for me. Now, aft the fight, I volition spot however overmuch value I gain. If I enactment astatine the aforesaid value a period later, we tin speech astir returning. If I summation much weight, and it has ne'er been casual anyway, we volition person to beryllium down and determine arsenic a team.

As for the onslaught connected the welterweight belt, everything indicates that the lawsuit volition hap precise soon. For weeks, rumors person been circulating that Makhachev and Della Maddalena volition header UFC 322, an lawsuit scheduled to instrumentality spot astatine Madison Square Garden successful November. There has been nary authoritative confirmation yet, but Makhachev is confident:

– I deliberation each the verbal agreements are already successful place. Now we’re conscionable waiting. I judge everything volition beryllium announced successful the adjacent fewer weeks.

If the combat is so confirmed, Makhachev could beryllium connected his mode to treble title status, portion besides leaving the doorway unfastened for a superfight with Topuria, a clash that galore spot arsenic the top clash of styles and ambitions successful the UFC today.